Description of Kirkcaldy bank robbery suspect issued

Tanya Scoon

Police have issued a description of of a man they are keen to speak to in connection with yesterday’s bank robbery in Kirkcaldy.

Superintendent Derek McEwan said the man was seen near to the Bank of Scotland on Mitchelston Industrial Estate on the outskirts of the town around 1.30pm, the time the robbery is said to have happened.

Police swarm the area. Pics by Fife Photo Agency

He is described as being 5ft6in and of heavy build. He was wearing dark glasses, a dark baseball cap, possibly green, a thick blue jacket and tracksuit bottoms.

It was also revealed that it was thought the private taxi used by the suspect to get to the bank, a grey Skoda Octavia, had been hijacked by the robber.

Superintendent McEwan refused to confirm reports that a gun had been used in the robbery, saying: “I’m not in a position to say what weapons may or may not have been used.

“I can say no firearms were presented to any member of the public within the bank, the Asda superstore or any nearby premises.

“A number of members of the public were involved in this incident,” he added. “Quite clearly it would be traumatic for any individual police officer or any member of the public, but nobody was physically hurt during the incident.”

The details emerged following a major lockdown of the surrounding area which saw two high schools and a primary school keeping children inside their premises while a thorough search of the area, involving a police helicopter was carried out.

Roads into the industrial estate around the bank were also cordoned off, with traffic building up on the nearby A92 as the incident unfolded.

Dozens of police vehicles and officers as well as army soldiers and a bomb disposal unit converged on the area with the Asda car park and that of St Andrews High School used as muster areas for the major operation.

Things were wound down around 4pm but officers remained in the area overnight as the investigation continues.